'Monica', the vibrant dance number from Coolie featuring Pooja Hegde and Soubin Shahir, has been setting social media abuzz since its release earlier this year. A week ago, the song surpassed 50 million views on YouTube. Recently, at the Cannes Film Festival, the song found its way to Italian screen icon and inspiration for the song, Monica Bellucci, and she loved it.
In a recent interview with Pooja Hegde, Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter India revealed that the legendary actor had been shown the track at Cannes. Hearing this, Pooja lit up: “Oh, really? Wow. That’s the biggest compliment ever. I’ve actually always loved Monica Bellucci. She was so iconic in her own way for her persona. She didn’t really need to do much. At the same time, she had a very unique style and a unique voice in terms of how she carried herself. So it was a big feat. But I’m glad. I’m glad she liked it.”
The actor credited fans for playing a part in connecting the moment, saying, “I believe a lot of people were commenting on her Instagram, and a lot of Tamil fans were saying, ‘Please go watch Coolie’s song.’”
Recently, Lokesh attributed the inclusion of the song to an emphasis on business purposes. "I kept the song just to take care of the business ends of the film. But I can guarantee you that the song will not hinder the pace of the film, and it will only take the narration forward," Lokesh revealed. He added that the song does not require Rajinikanth's presence, according to the story, but he is there for business-related reasons.
Pooja took this comment as a compliment and added, “For a director like him to say that and put their money where their mouth is by hiring me for that job, and for it to help the film, that’s very exciting for me. It tells me I can contribute to tickets; I bring value. And these are the people whose opinion I should worry about, not so much anyone else’s.”
Composed and sung by Anirudh, with vocals by Sublahshini, rap by Asal Kolaar, and lyrics by Vishnu Edavan, 'Monica' has been one of the most talked-about tracks from Coolie.
The Rajinikanth vehicle also features Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, Nagarjuna, and Upendra and is slated for an August 14 theatrical release.
